Allen Edmonds Men's Strand Cap Toe With Perfing, Black, 11 D US Review
The Allen Edmonds Men's Strand Cap Toe With Perfing is a classic lace-up oxford dress shoe that seamlessly blends style and functionality. This distinctive cap-toe Balmoral features intricate perforated brogue styling, making it a versatile choice for both formal and casual occasions. Whether you’re dressing up for a wedding or going for a smart-casual look, this shoe fits beautifully into your wardrobe.
Crafted with a 360º bench welt construction, these shoes ensure remarkable durability and stability, essential for daily wear. The custom cork insole molds to the shape of your foot, offering a personalized fit that enhances comfort over time. Made from premium European burnished calfskin leather, the upper exudes sophistication, while the single oak leather sole adds a touch of elegance.
Handcrafted in Port Washington, WI, each pair of Allen Edmonds shoes undergoes a meticulous process of 212 production steps, reflecting the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Built on the welted 65 last, these shoes are recraftable, allowing you to maintain their prime condition for years to come.
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Features
- Six eyelet cap toe blucher with perfing, pinking, and toe medallion
- Premium lined calfskin leather upper
- Durable single leather sole and regular heel
- Recraftable design for extended lifespan
- Care recommendation: Use Allen Edmonds leather lotion for maintenance
Pros
- Timeless design suitable for various occasions
- Exceptional comfort with a custom-molded insole
- High-quality materials ensure longevity
- Recraftable feature allows for refreshment over time
- Impressive attention to detail in craftsmanship
Cons
- Higher price point compared to mass-produced alternatives
- Initial break-in period may be required
Comparison With Other Similar Products
| Product | Upper Material | Sole Type | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Edmonds Strand Cap Toe | Burnished calfskin | Leather | Oxford |
| Brogue Oxford by Clarks | Leather | Rubber | Oxford |
| Johnston & Murphy Conard | Calfskin | Leather | Derby |
Detailed Review
Design: The Allen Edmonds Strand showcases an elegant cap-toe design accentuated with brogue detailing. Its classic appearance makes it a staple in any gentleman’s collection.
Comfort: Featuring a custom cork insole, these shoes adapt to the contours of your feet, providing comfort that's hard to beat. However, like many high-quality shoes, they may require some breaking in before achieving optimal comfort.
Construction: Crafted using a traditional bench welt construction method, these shoes promise durability and support. The use of fine imported materials further speaks to their superior build quality, making them worth the investment.
Versatility: One of the key strengths of the Strand Cap Toe is its versatility. It pairs well with suits for formal events and can also be dressed down with chinos or smart jeans, making it an excellent all-rounder.
Detailed Rating
| Category | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Design | 9/10 | Elegant, timeless design with outstanding attention to detail. |
| Comfort | 8/10 | Custom-fit insole, but requires some break-in time. |
| Durability | 9/10 | Made with high-quality materials ensuring long-lasting wear. |
| Versatility | 10/10 | Easily transitions from formal to casual settings. |
| Value for Money | 8/10 | While pricier, the quality justifies the investment. |
User Reviews
This is my first real nice pair of shoes, so it's hard to compare it to anything more than the cheap stuff I've used in the past.The leather is just stunning looking, the color of it, feel of it, stitch work, the way it shines up and beams in the right light, it even smells great.... just a beautiful shoe. Also, the solid oak heel sounds and feels amazing. There's really something about walking on a sidewalk with that click clack.The Walnut color also allows some versatility, it practically goes with everything besides black. It's a shoe you can wear to more formal events/work places and one that you can wear with jeans on Saturday, it's pretty great.The shoe feels amazing as well, after a day or two of wearing it, I broke it in and it's easily now the most comfortable shoe I've ever used.The big caveat is the sizing, this shoe is strange in that it's significantly longer and more narrow than your traditional shoe. In your average shoe I'll wear a 10.5, maybe an 11 in sneakers. So I ordered a 10.5D.. the thing was painful to wear even just sitting at my desk.So after doing research and figuring out how Allen Edmond's sizing works a bit with a 9.5EEE, which ended up fitting amazingly. Apparently with each width increase your also going to get a bit of length. But now it fits much more nicely, the lace gap closes much more, and the shoe was significantly more comfortable immediately. In fact I possibly could have gone down to 9EEE and that might have been even better, which again as someone with fairly normal feet who wears around 10.5-11s in other shoes that's just crazy.Amazon was very gracious with the exchange process and even sent me free expedited shipping on the wider pair so I'd have them in time for an pair of events, but I'd still recommend trying to get a fit at a brick and mortar location first if possible (wasn't for me) they'll size you up and fit the perfect pair for you. Currently Amazon seems to sell the D width and EEE only. According to AE the difference is about 3/16 of an inch for each width, so someone might be more keen on E or EE or even the more narrow ones.
I'm in love with this shoe. I'm breaking them in right now and my office smells of fresh leather and the shoe has that slight creak of high quality leather flexing and molding to the shape my foot. People have noticed. The quality construction of this shoe is evident once it's in your hands - this is by far the nicest pair of shoes I have ever owned. The attention to detail is incredible from the metal washers that are inlaied behind each shoelace hole to the AE label on the inside. The only problem is that it's been a messy winter here and I don't want to get them wet so I've been hesitant to wear them often! I want to go smell them and rub them again right now - is that odd?As many reviews have indicated, these run large in length and small in width. I wear a 8.5D in everything else and ended up with a 7.5D in this shoe. Had a 7.5E would have been available I think it would have fit perfectly. The D width is a little snug for me now but I expect the break in to make things right. I did use the AE online sizing tool and even verified that the print outs were scaled properly and it recommended 8.5D and they were enormous.
A few months ago, I never even heard of Allen Edmonds. Then I saw an impressive example of their shoes on display in an upscale department store. It was obvious the well crafted shoes were in a class all their own. Reluctant to buy shoes on-line unfitted and unseen, I was partially lured by Amazon's generous return policy. I could always send the shoes back if there was a problem, I reasoned. Living on a relatively modest budget, this strand cap beauty finished in walnut is the most attractive and expensive pair of shoes I have ever purchased. My size 12 "gunboat" feet have always been a challenge to fit comfortably and correctly. I was astounded at how well these shoes fit! Comfortable in every way, no break in was required. The usual stiffness I am familiar with in other new shoes was simply not there. Very comfortable, I could have easily worn the new shoes all day long without experiencing any discomfort at all. The quality of these fine shoes speaks for itself. Another first for me; so prized are these shoes in my otherwise modest collection, I invested in a pair of cedar trees to better protect and store the shoes. This is the first pair of Allen Edmonds shoes I ever bought and knowing what I now know, they most certainly won't be the last. I am very pleased.
Right shoe is great! Left shoe leather was cut by a dunce!Leather on left side foot rubs my ankle because the shoe is a full 1/2” taller then the right shoe.Beautiful shoes and quality leather but the workmanship on these $400 shoes is absolute rubbish.
So there is a lot of players in the game these days as far as dress shoes go. But team, let me be very clear about one thing... this shoe is where the cheery meets the whipped cream on your ice cream sunday. I have had the middle of the road dress shoe with your standard issue rubber sole, and yes, those are leading the power rankings with Prom and other awkward teenage formal events. But seeing that I just hit my prime in my mid 20's, and knowing that if I wanted a snowballs chance in central park to be respectable in the working world, I would need to act like I have rounded third after a walk off homerun. Back to the shoe, they fit great with a dark blue suit, I have seen them worn with dark jeans and the color of the shoe compliments a variety of fall colors. The leather sole took me one night in dancing to a mildly decent swing band at a wedding to break them in. The leather sole is also replaceable, which extends the life of this particular shoe. I have good friends who have had the same pair of Allen Edmond shoes and just replace the soles, some aging over 20 years old. Call it a great shoe, call it fashion equity, call them Allen Edmonds, I am telling you, this shoe is worth the price and the feeling you get when you lace these cleats up for a night out on the town. Look good, feel good, play good.